Mines renewable energy center, Collaboratory solar center join forces

Golden, July 27, 2009 — The Center for Revolutionary Solar Photoconversion (CRSP) and the Colorado School of Mines Renewable Energy Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (REMRSEC) have announced an important affiliation that will add value to both centers and enhance their work on solar energy research.

The REMRSEC was announced last fall by the National Science Foundation and is located at Mines. The school will receive $9.3 million to establish the center, which will focus on investigating emerging renewable energy materials and technologies. It is the first NSF-funded Center dedicated solely to renewable energy and includes considerable participation by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and some participation by the University of Colorado at Boulder, among other participants.

“We are excited about this new relationship and the positive impact it will have on the development of materials for the next generation of photovoltaic panels,” said Mines Professor Craig Taylor, director for the REMRSEC and CRSP co-director.

CRSP was launched in April 2008 by the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory and has three solar research programs underway: Industry Shared Research, Industry Sponsored Research and Federally Funded Research (including participation in a recent U.S. Department of Energy Engineering Frontiers Research Center award).

Dr. Arthur Nozik, Senior Research Fellow at NREL and the Scientific Director for CRSP said, “This tie between CRSP and the REMRSEC will enhance the research capabilities at both centers and deliver additional value to our member companies.”

CRSP is dedicated to the basic and applied research necessary to create revolutionary new solar energy technologies, as well as education and training opportunities. The research underpins novel renewable energy technologies, commonly called "third-generation solar photon conversion," that exhibit highly efficient and low-cost production of both fuels and electricity via direct solarconversion processes.